Brothers, 3 and 5, found dead in pond after sneaking out of apartment while mom napped

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WKMG) – Police in Florida say the bodies of two young brothers who snuck out of their apartment while their mother was taking a nap were found in a pond nearby.

Two brothers – 3-year-old Kashh and 5-year-old Elijah – were reported missing Saturday before their bodies were discovered in a pond near their Daytona Beach apartment complex. Police say Elijah had autism and noted that many children with autism are drawn to water.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said investigators believe the boys’ deaths were accidental and that there is no indication of foul play.

“This is your greatest nightmare – to lose both of your children in that fashion,” Young said.

According to Young, the brothers’ single mother fed them about 5 p.m. Saturday before lying down for a short nap. When she woke up about 15 minutes later, both boys – along with the family dog – had gotten out of the apartment.

“She does have a child safety lock on the door, so apparently, they figured out how to navigate that child safety lock, and they exited the apartment,” Young said.

Police say surveillance video shows the kids running around then going into the pond. Moments later, their mother is seen on the video coming outside.

“She was trying to do her due diligence to see if she could locate the children before calling 911,” Young said. “But by then, based on what we can see now on the surveillance video, they were already submerged in the water.”

While Young believes the deaths were accidental, the case has been handed over to the State Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether the mother will face any charges.

Neighbors say they hope the apartment complex will put up fencing or other protections at the pond.